


Just the two of us

by norwegianssweethearts



Series: Family [1]
Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: F/M, Wedding, William meets her family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-05
Updated: 2017-09-05
Packaged: 2018-12-24 09:42:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12010089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/norwegianssweethearts/pseuds/norwegianssweethearts
Summary: Noora and William go to her cousin's wedding.





	Just the two of us

**Author's Note:**

> Hi,
> 
> I wrote a little something. I had this idea of a series in which they have to deal with their families/people from their past in my mind for a long time and I decided to give it a try.
> 
> I am sorry for the mistakes you'll find.  
> I sincerely hope that Noora's family characterization is not too much.

* * *

 

**Maja to Noora**

_Hi Noora ! Hope everything is good for you. You didn’t answer my wedding invitation and I want to make sure you’ll be there. It’s been so long since we saw each other ! It will be so great to see you again. I can’t wait to share this special moment with you. You’ll bring a +1, right ? ;) Can’t wait to finally meet the boy that I see all the time on your Instagram. Hope to hear from you soon, take care. Maja_

_P.S: I won’t take no for an answer. You have to be at my wedding!_

When Noora sees Maja’s message notification on her phone, she knows exactly why she’s writing for. She received her save the date ages ago. At the time, more than one year ago, she was too busy to care about her cousin wedding. (William had just come back from London, she was very busy.) Then she received the wedding invitation and she decided to just … forget about it.

It’s not that she doesn’t love Maja, or that she doesn’t want to go to her wedding. She has some really good childhood memories with her. They were quite close when they were kids. It could be really great to catch up with her. In a café, in Oslo, not at her wedding in Mjondalen. 

Maja is great. She’s sweet. However, she never escaped their family. Noora knows how it will go. As soon as she shows up, she will be surrounded by her cousins, her aunts and her own mother who will literally interrogate her to know every detail of her personal life. Her mum might not call often, as soon as she’s with her family, she’s suddenly interested in every aspects of her daughter’s life. (Particularly her sex life). That’s why she doesn’t want to go to that stupid wedding. 

She also can’t bring William. There’s no way she will expose him to that kind of treatment. He  already has to deal with a weird family, he doesn’t need hers. If William ever meets her parents, he might be scared for life and decide he finally does not want to see her ever again. She might be overreacting a bit, but she won’t take the risk. Her parents and William won’t ever cross path. 

She thinks of an excuse really quickly and finally settles for _« Hiya Maja ! I’m sorry I didn’t answer sooner, but I won’t be in Norway for your wedding, sadly.  We’re going on vacation with William, in New York. We could have lunch together when I'm back ? Have a wonderful wedding, congratulations ! »_

She feels relieved when she hits send and doesn’t really think about the wedding until a few hours later, when she’s on the couch, watching Netflix with William. She hears the sound of another notification.  She reads Maja’s answer : _« Noora, I know what you’re doing. if you really is going to NY, show me a receipt ? I told you I won’t take no for answer. You and William will be at my wedding. It will be fun, I promise. You won’t be seated next to your parents, don’t worry. »_

« Fuck, » she says. « Fuck. Fuck »

« What’s going on? » William asks.

« I lied to my cousin about us going to New York to avoid going to her wedding in two weeks, and she demands a proof that we will be out of the country by then »

« Okay » he answers, confused. « We don’t have plans to go to NY soon, I’m afraid. »

« I know… I thought it was a great lie » she tells him, defeated. 

« That was smart, yeah » he smiles. « That was a really smart lie. »

« I’m screwed. I will have to go, she won’t give up, but I’ll say you have work that day. One of us has to be free from …this. »

« No, Noora. I won’t let you go alone. » He moves closer and puts his hand in her hair, « Forget about it, Noora. if you go, I’ll go. »  

« William, this is going to be a nightmare, my parents will be there, all my family will be there, I … »

« That’s why I’m going with you » he interrupts her. « I won’t let you deal with your family alone. It’s settled. »

« William…. » she protests. 

« Noora. No.» 

Instead of trying to put up a pointless fight, she snuggles against him and whispers « okay. » 

**Noora to Maja :**

_Well, if we don’t have a choice, count us in?_

**Maja to Noora :**

_Wonderful ! That was easier than I expected. I knew that you would make an effort for your family. It’s important. See you soon!_

**Noora to Maja :**

_You wouldn’t have left me alone, so I gave up. It’s not really about you. I just don’t want to spend too much time with our relatives. I’m happy for you. I just think that I’m better without them in my life and didn’t want to see them._

**Maja to Noora :**

_We’re still your family, you know. They’re not bad people. They ask about you, they want to know what you’re doing. We’re your family, after all, you can’t shut us out like that, so I’m glad you’ll be there. It will be a wonderful day. See you_

She sighs. she didn’t miss her family at all. They always try to blame her. When she was a teenager and started  to get some distance between her and her family, a lot of relatives told her that they were « family », that she had « family obligations » or even to « be more grateful ».  She escaped to Madrid as soon as she could and never really contacted anyone ever again. She had hoped that Maja wasn’t really like the rest of the family, but apparently she was. She’s too tired to fight, or to explain why she does not owe anything to anyone, so she leaves the last message unanswered. 

She rests her head on William’s shoulder and takes his hand in hers. He immediately puts his arm around her. 

« You’ll be asked about our sex life, » she says quietly. « Just a heads up.»

« Okay… » he answers. « I won't say anything that would make you uncomfortable. I’ll dodge questions about sex. » 

« You’ll try but you won’t be able to dodge them all. It’s okay. »  

« I'll lie then. Don’t worry. »

« I know, it’s just... be prepared, okay? »

William turns his head in her direction and gently touches her chin to make her look at him. « Noora if you don’t want to go, we won’t, okay ? » he says. 

« I know… Maja and I were close when we were kids, I don’t want to hurt her. If it becomes too much, I’ll cancel. »

She kisses him, stroking his cheek. When she tries to deepen the kiss, he stops her. « I want to finish the episode » 

« William ? » She pretends to be offended, « You will sleep on the couch tonight »

He laughs and closes the distance between them. He trails kisses down her neck and plays with her hair « You sure ? » he asks jokingly. 

Before she can answer, they hear Eskild and Linn coming back, so they quickly sit up straight, laughing. (Obviously, William does not sleep on the couch that night.)

One day, they go shopping in town to find outfits for the big day. When they walk past a really fancy clothes shop, William spots a navy blue dress and insists she tries it on. It is a really beautiful dress, but not really her style because of the open back. It’s also longer than she’s used to but when she sees the huge smile on William’s lips when he sees her in the dress, she tells herself she can try another style for such an occasion. 

« Fuck, you’re beautiful, » he tells her. « what do you think? »

« I don’t know, it’s a bit expensive, no? I t’s not a dress I can wear easily, you know? » 

« I don’t care. I’ll buy it. if you’re comfortable wearing it, we’ll take it. » 

« I have to find high heels, then » she kisses him. « Thank you. »

William finds navy blue trousers, with a light yellow shirt. Noora buys herself yellow platforms.  They didn't intend to match, but well, that way, they will have cute pictures of them in coordinated outfits. 

The wedding day comes sooner than Noora thought. It's a sunny Saturday and William drives them early to Mjondalen. They rented an Airbnb in the city to be able to change themselves before the ceremony. They don’t really visit Mjondalen, mostly because Noora prefers not to. She just points out some places she knows when they’re driving. 

They arrive at the ceremony five minutes in advance. William parks the car but neither of them moves. 

William touches her knee and moves closer to her. « Are you okay ? » She nods. « You’re beautiful, love » he adds, and then he kisses her, carefully. He doesn’t want to mess her lipstick up. 

When she opens her eyes after the kiss, she sees her aunt approaching the car. « Fuck, the nightmare begins. This is my aunt, Ingrid. » 

They exit the car just as her aunt arrives. « Noora ! » she yells. « So glad to see you ! Who’s the charming boy you brought us ? » she says as she smiles to William.

« Aunt Ingrid » Noora answers, a fake smile on her lips, « This is William, my boyfriend. » 

« You really got yourself a boyfriend, then. Great! » her aunt answers. « Come with me, the ceremony is about to begin. »

In front of the town hall, they don’t have time to exchange more than hellos with the rest of her family. She’s surprised to see that her parents are not there yet. 

When they enter the building she turns to William « My parents are not there. Maybe they won’t come. Oh, God. Please. » William takes her hand. They sit down in the back of the room. 

And suddenly, she hears her mum yelling « Noora, sweetie » and oh no. She turns over, whispering quickly « That’s my parents » to William. Mirroring Noora, William turns over and ok, yeah that’s definitely Noora’s mom. He’s a bit surprised because she seems really young.  She doesn’t wear lipstick like her daughter, but  the resemblance is striking. Then he sees who he believes is Noora’s dad. She got his eyes. 

They stand up. Noora kisses both her parents on the cheek. He notices that, for parents who have spent years without seeing their only daughter, they are relatively cold. He moves closer to her, his hand resting on her back to remind her he is there. 

« Mom, dad, this is William, my boyfriend ». 

He shakes their hands exchanging « nice to meet you ». Her parents seem surprised.

« Since when are you two together ? » her mother asks William. 

« hmm. Since 2015,  » he answers, knowing Noora won’t dare to correct him now. 

« oh, you’re… » she starts but then she turns to face her husband, « it’s the same boy she mentioned a long time ago, I’m impressed ». Noora sighs « mum… » and her dad answers « Well she’s your daughter, she certainly has some … of your assets. » her parents laugh. Noora sighs again. Then her dad looks at William and tells him « We’re lucky men, aren’t we ? » and then he winks. William doesn’t really know how to answer that. He settles for « I am lucky to have Noora in my life, yeah » and then looks at her. She smiles. 

The ceremony begins, so Noora and William sit down. 

«  That was a great answer. » She whispers touching his face with her hand.

« It’s only the truth. » he answers.

After the ceremony, they follow everyone to the reception venue. It's quite a short drive, but they still put the music on and sing along. (It’s a thing they do but if you ask them, they’ll deny it.)  

As Noora predicted, they are surrounded by quite a few people as soon as they arrive. She introduces William to almost everyone in her family, who are all surprised she actually came to the wedding, with a boyfriend.   

One aunt tells William « Noora hadn’t brought a guy home since her first boyfriend Alex, you must be special! » Great. 

Another aunt, for real, asks her if she knows what Alex is doing, because « He still lives there, you know, I see him sometimes. I bet he would love to hear news from you. » It leaves Noora (and William) speechless. 

Someone tells William that Noora seems less uptight than before. « I told her being sexually active did that to some people. » They both pretend not to hear that one. 

They get asked when they’ll tie the knot themselves. She answers that it’s out of the question for now. William just grins, staying quiet. 

William understands quickly that nobody in Noora’s family has got a brain to mouth filter. They talk a lot, about everything. They’re loud, really loud too. They’re everything Noora is not. He honestly hadn’t heard that many sex allusions in his life (and he was a Penetrator.) 

Noora is so tense beside him, he takes advantage of a moment alone to take her in his arms. She melts into him. « I didn’t remember my family to be that unbearable. I’m exhausted. » 

« I know, but I actually love to know where you grew up. » 

« Yeah, I’m glad you came » she answers. « Even if that means hearing my cousin say that he’s glad I’m having sex on a regular basis. »

He laughs. « Oh my god, someone told you that? » She nods. 

The questions actually get more and more personal and inappropriate as the night goes on. (William blames it on wine.)  

He notices that most people do not ask Noora about her life. What will she study next year ? (Journalism and gender studies.) Does she love Oslo ? (Yes.) Does she have a job ? (Yes. She writes for a online magazine.) Does she live with William ? (with two roommates, yes.) Is she traveling soon ? (Yes, with the girls, to Bergen in a few weeks. Then to Paris, with William). 

They know nothing about Noora and apparently, they don’t care. 

Actually, her father asks her if they live together but when she answers that they have two other roommates, her mother asks if it’s not a bit hard to manage having sex when you share an apartment. Everyone but Noora and William laugh. William understands that she expects an answer, so he says « We do not share our bedroom. » 

« Have you ever been caught, then? » 

« No » he lies.  Noora squeezes his hand and tries to suppress a laugh. 

Suddenly, both her parents become more serious. 

« Noora, you have sex, right ? » her father asks. 

« You know it’s important in a relationship » her mother continues. 

Noora sighs and rolls her eyes. 

« I’m not kidding, Noora Amalie, it’s healthy. Me and your dad, we have sex at least… » 

« Oh my god, mum. STOP. » Noora snaps. « I don’t care about your sex life with Dad. I didn’t come here to be one of your patient. » after a pause she adds. « Why are you all so obsessed  with sex ? It’s insane »

« It’s healthy to talk about it, I read Freud books and… »

« Stop, dad. I truly do not care »

« But do you… » he whispers… « I know you did with Alex but… » She shakes her head in disbelief. 

William moves closer to her so that his body is actually right behind hers and takes her hand in his. 

« You can tell us that you have sex, Noora. It’s okay » her mum says jokingly.  « We won’t ask how many times a week, I swear ». Everybody laughs. They truly do not see how uncomfortable Noora is. 

« William, I’m sorry our Noora is so uptight. It must not be funny everyday » someone laughs again. 

He feels Noora tensing up in his arms. He hugs her tighter. « Don’t worry, we have plenty of fun together, » he answers, his voice colder than usual. He kisses her cheek. 

During dinner, they’re seated next to Maja’s friends. They’re great and have normal conversations. Noora is relieved. 

After dinner, the DJ starts playing slow dances to entertain the guests, encouraging couples to dance on the dance floor. William invites Noora. 

« You want to go? We’ve never danced together  » 

« There’s a first time for everything, » he says, offering her his hand.

They don’t really dance. They just stay in each other arms, slowly swinging.  William kisses her neck from time to time.  

« Your hands are unnecessary low on my back, W, » she says, grinning. 

« Are they ? » he whispers in her ear.

« Yeah. » She plays with her lips. « It’s too hot in here, » she adds. William doesn’t move his hands. 

They are waiting for the wedding cake, which takes forever to be served, apparently.

The DJ switches to more upbeat songs and they try to dance together for some time before giving up. They are definitely not dancers. 

Then the DJ announces that it’s game time. Without thinking, Noora turns to William and tells him « Let’s get out of there ». She takes his hand and starts to run. (tries to run. With a long dress and high heels, tries to run is more fitting.)

When they arrive at William’s car, they’re out of breath. Running and laughing is not a great mix. 

« So… we’re joining them again for dessert? in what .. fifteen minutes? Twenty maybe.»

« No. No. Let’s go on a little adventure, okay? » She answers. « Just the two of us. » 

« We didn’t say goodbye, » he says.

« Don’t care. »

« Okay » he laughs. « By little adventure, you mean going to McDonalds to buy two McFlurrys, eating them on a bench somewhere and then going back to our Airbnb to watch Netflix? » (It is a thing they do, from time to time. They sometimes even bring Cocoa with them. Those dates are precious for both of them. It’s their little thing. They also bonded over their love for McFlurry.)

« Yeah, but more like… Netflix and chill, you know ? » She winks. « A little adventure. »

« A little adventure » 

Later, Noora takes a photo of the pictures they took in the photo booth at the wedding. She uploads it on Instagram, captioning it « Just the two of us ♥️» 

She notices that William uploaded a picture, too. It’s her, taken from the back. « A little adventure » she smiles.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.
> 
> norwegianssweethearts.tumblr.com is my tumblr, if you wanna chat.


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